The Holy Spirit Makes Leaders Effective

Effective spiritual leaders are persons who are gifted, called, sent, prepared, enabled, empowered, developed, and anointed by the Holy Spirit. Their effectiveness grows out of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. There are no born or self-made leaders who are effective as spiritual leaders. Only God can make leaders effective.

The effectiveness of leaders is usually measured by looking at results. Sometimes spiritual leaders give faithful, God-directed and God-anointed service with very little to show as visible results. But the Holy Spirit can take that faithful service and work through it, over time, with the contribution of other faithful servants, to bring about tremendous results. That is the meaning behind Paul’s word: “For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe–as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Cor. 3:4-7).

Partners with God

Spiritual leaders are servant leaders–people who are content to serve God in whatever position He may assign. They know they are not the only players. They partner with God –and they partner with other leaders–because effectiveness is measured by the cumulative result of God at work through His Church–of which they are only a part. Without the Holy Spirit integrating their planting with the watering done by others, there will be no harvest.

Strengthened by God

The Church belongs to God. It was His idea. He gave birth to it. He established its mission. He has worked through it over the centuries to help reconcile a wayward world to Himself. He has strengthened it through adversity and persecution. He has purified it when it has been infected by the culture in which it has existed. He has raised up leaders at strategic, crucial times in its history. He has saved it from the designs of misguided and unscrupulous leaders. It is His Church. He will build it. He will gift, call, send, prepare, enable, empower, develop, anoint, and make effective those persons whom He ordains to lead His Church. We should do our best to lay our hands on blessing on those persons on whom rest the hands of God.